HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Indians fall to Panthers in season opener

So long, Austin Wilson. Welcome, Joshua Stambaugh. East Pennsboro introduced a new starting quarterback and a new feature running back on Friday night, and both performed admirably in the season opener against the inexperienced Waynesboro Indians.

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Waynesboro Record Herald - Waynesboro, PA

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Posted Aug. 31, 2013 at 7:15 AM

Posted Aug. 31, 2013 at 7:15 AM

ENOLA — So long, Austin Wilson. Welcome, Joshua Stambaugh.

East Pennsboro introduced a new starting quarterback and a new feature running back on Friday night, and both performed admirably in the season opener against the inexperienced Waynesboro Indians.

The result was a lopsided 47-0 non-league victory in which the Panthers outgained the Tribe 387-81 and built a 33-0 half-time lead.

“Inexperience really showed out there tonight,” said Waynesboro head coach Scott Shacreaw.

East Pennsboro ran its offense with ease, breaking long runs in the middle of the line of scrimmage and breaking big gainers from short to mid-range passes. Stambaugh threw touchdown passes of 10 and 35 yards to Nicholas Guida. Running back Garrett Stuter rushed for 133 yards on just 11 carries and ran for a 24-yard score to give the Panthers a 19-0 lead after the first quarter.

“Tackling is something we practice every day,” Shacreaw said. “With us repping every day, I expected better than that. We blew some assignments.

“We’re starting eight guys who haven’t started a varsity game.”

East Pennsboro exploited Waynesboro’s youth, and the Indians now must prepare for a Chambersburg team that has just about everybody back from last year’s District 3-AAAA playoff team that routed Greencastle-Antrim 56-3 last night.

Stuter also tossed a 23-yard TD pass to Ryan Turpin in the second quarter and caught a 43-yard TD pass from Stambaugh early in the third quarter that made it 40-0 and activated the mercy rule. Conner Yoder scored on a five-yard run to end the scoring with 3:40 left to play in the game.

Turpin hauled in a 7-yard pass from backup quarterback Tyler Stahlman with 1:45 remaining in the second quarter that gave East Pennsboro a 33-0 advantage at the intermission.

The Panthers didn’t need to spend much time on their scoring drives and rarely started possessions deep in their own end of the field. The first scoring drive started on Waynesboro’s 43 yard line and took just three plays before Guida opened the scoring. East Pennsboro then took over on downs at its 30 and took just four plays to hit paydirt.

After going three-and-out in its first possession, Waynesboro got some momentum on its ensuing series. Starting under center to begin the game, Nathan Toney ran three times and running back Brett Mohn had three carries for 10 yards as the Indians made it to the East Pennsboro 30 before the drive fizzled out after a fourth-down incomplete pass.

Toney was under pressure all night in the pocket, and Waynesboro’s running game was never able to get going due to intense pressure at the line of scrimmage. The Panthers employed blitzes on both running and passing plays, disrupting the timing and rhythm of the Tribe’s modified spread offense.

Page 2 of 2 - NOTES: Matt Peck gave Waynesboro good field position with a 32-yard kickoff return and then caught a Toney pass for 13 yards to give the Indians a first down at the East Pennsboro 47. . . Bronson Musser recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter. . . The Panthers scored on five of its first six possessions. . . Waynesboro hosts Chambersburg next Friday at 7:30 p.m.